Tuesday, 11 July 2017

Island 386 - Mid Ness of Houlland, Yell, Shetland

The Ness of Houlland on the north coast of Yell is divided into 3 parts:

Inna Ness, which is a peninsula joined to Yell at the north end of the lovely golden Sands of Breckon

Mid Ness, which is just about a tidal island (it would only be cut off during extreme high tides or storm conditions) and which lies to the west of Inna Ness

Outsta Ness, which is another tidal island to the west of Mid Ness.

My friend Deb and I only got as far as the eastern end of Mid Ness. It was an easy scramble down to the beach from the western end of Inna Ness but the climb up onto the top of Mid Ness, although possible, didn't look easy (going up looked okay but getting down again would have been more difficult), so we contented ourselves with standing above the high tide level and we managed to reach out and touch some thrift plants growing on the island. The top of Mid Ness is covered in very short grass, so I presume that the local sheep are more sure footed and adventurous than we were and that they visit Mid Ness to provide grass cutting services.

Looking south towards the Hill of Brimness from Mid Ness

Inna Ness from Mid Ness

The way up onto Mid Ness is the diagonal rock face running through the photo